Managing Customer Experience : Assignment

Managing customer
experience

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1 value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target customer
groups..........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
(Covered in posters)....................................................................................................................4
TASK 3.......................................................................................................................................4
P3 Create customer experience map for service sector organization..........................................4
P4 Customer touch points throughout the customer experience create business opportunities
for services sector organization...................................................................................................6
P5 Impact of Digital technology on CRM.................................................................................7
P6 Customer service strategies adopted by hotel crown plaza...................................................8
P7How customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience in a way that
meets the needs of the customer and required business standards..............................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Managing customer experience is a kind of practice reacting to interactions of customers
which has with the company and its products. It is an integral part of customer relationship
management which the customer feels about the company and its offerings (Bilgihan, 2016).
This helps in formulation of strategy and helps to change process and technology which benefits
the customers most. Customer experience helps to address brand choice of consumer in addition
to serve online customers. In this report chosen organisation is Hotel Crown plaza which is a
multinational chain of full service of hotels headquartered in United Kingdom. It basically caters
the need of business travellers and conventions market which operates more than approx 400
hotels. This report focuses on needs and wants of market segment in hospitality industry to
determine the customer experience and grab certain opportunities to analyse customer demands.
In addition to this customer touch points also helps in organisational development and
enhancement.
TASK 1
P1 Value and importance of understanding the needs, wants and preferences of target customer
groups
To have better understanding of consumer tastes and choices Hotel crown plaza have to
properly target consumer base with segmenting the individuals. Segmentation refers to dividing
the consumers in the market according to consumers tastes, preferences and income group so that
respective organisation can understand their needs properly to grab the consumer attention and
sell product and services of Crown plaza. They can provide services according to the consumers
budget which satisfies their desires(Christopher, 2016) Hotel crown plaza divided the target
consumers in different categories as follows-
Customer Group Need Want Preference
Disabled people Arrangement of
special chairs and
room at ground floors
Intimate atmosphere High availability of
space
Couples and families Good decorum of Candle night dinner Milkshakes and fast

room food
Teenagers Grab & Go coffee and
food
Mobile telephone
charging points
Fast food
Disabled customers- Hotel crown plaza identifies the need of disabled customers by
providing them facilities of access to ramp next to front steps. It also analysed that there should
be sufficient space to pass between tables and should prepare low calorie meal to reduce effect
on their health.
Couple- When couples visits hotel their need changes to facilities for candle night dinner,
have soft music in rooms and pool facilities which satisfies needs and increase satisfaction (Frow
and et. al., 2015). Their should be special floor for the couples which allows them to enjoy
holidays without disturbances and helps to take advantage of hotel services and maintains long
term relationship with them.
Teenagers- The demand for teenagers in context to services in hotel are different. They
identify their needs in the form of fast food facilities at the hotel as well as facilities of music
night with loud pop music which attracts teenagers to spend weekends and have fun. These need
should be properly analysed by hotel crown plaza to attract large customers and increase their
brand value in market.
Hotel crown plaza will get benefit by segmenting the customers and identify those needs
which help in targeting the large customer base and increase level of income for the hotel.
TASK 2
(Covered in posters)
TASK 3
P3 Create customer experience map for service sector organization
In hospitality industry it is very essential to provide adequate services and engage
customer's by building the brand image and builds long term relation with hotel Crown plaza.
The process of mapping gives knowledge across organisation that helps in managing consumers.
As it aims to consider every variable , every channel and every possible path customer might
take to purchase product and service of respected organisation. There are few ways that helps

hotel in analysing potential customers of the hotel, taste, preferences and requirements of
customers and main motive behind availing services. These factors are as follows-
 Website- Website created by the hotel crown plaza should be attractive in nature which
offers discounts and offers to attract customers and motivate them to book the hotel
(Homburg, Jozić and Kuehnl, 2017). They should make use of high class attractive
photos of hotel rooms and other areas so that travellers can identify the reputation of
hotel and starts booking. In the present scenario travellers doesn't waste much time to
gather information from general customers. With the use of internet one can easily get
information about the respective hotel and take beneficial advantages on time.
 Review sites- Customers prior to their booking review hotel sites which help them in
getting information about the hotel services and prices are mentioned to book the room
according to their requirement and level of income. This creates easy mode of booking
the room at hotel crown plaza and benefits the organisation itself.
 Text messages- Hotel crown plaza should start service of texting messages to its
potential customers regarding offers during festive season which helps to make aware
travellers and insist them to book and helps hotel in maintaining customer relationship.
 Restaurant environment- It is related to maintaining and managing the atmosphere in
restaurant at hotel. Once the traveller books the hotel or visit restaurant it should provide
friendly services to its customers which helps them to maintain long term relationship
with customers (Kandampully, Zhang and Bilgihan, 2015). Friendly services provided by
the hotel crown plaza helps in insisting consumers to revisit the hotel and take the
advantages of services.
 Restaurant staff- Staff of the restaurant and the hotel should be proper knowledgable
and friendly with the customers to make sure that travellers doesn't feel uncomfortable
during their stay at hotel crown plaza. They should properly communicate with the
customers at hotel to and make them aware about it all facilities which helps in gaining
competitive advantage and attracts customers.
 Telephone- Hotel managers at crown plaza should also make the advantage of telephone
facilities for those customers who are not active on social media platforms
 E-mails- Hotel managers of crown plaza should sent proper emails to its prospective
customers regarding offers and discounts. It should also sent mails on customers birthday,

anniversary to remind that hotel management takes care of the employees personal value.
This also motivates customers regarding product or service of respected organisation and
insist in booking rooms at hotel which also enhances the consumer needs as well as hotel
crown plaza image in the minds of customer.
 Restaurant management- This also helps in customer service mapping. It should
properly analyse the need for proper management of hotel to attract customers to visit. It
should also determine that management should be in context to all target groups of people
which doesn't focus on individual segment needs but caters facilities which satisfies
requirements of all target segments
Customer service map

 Travel inspiration
 Research
 Booking
 On property
Post stay
In all these different stages the hotels communicate differently with their customers and they
have several goals during all the stages. For respective hotelit is essential to get more insight in
which their customers experience are during this journey (Laudon and Laudon, 2015). They

required to ensure that their customers feel like that they are taken seriously and they are get
memorable and valuable experience of customers regarding such services or facilities.
This is essential to have good customer journey mapping strategy since this will enable
that it will identify the needs and expectation of individual customers in better manner. It will
also provide and deliver with more appropriate services and goods at each stage in this customer
journey. along with this, it is essential to develop an individual for different types of customers
that it receive at the hotel, since they all have different needs and wants at the time of arranging
journey. The customer's needs and expect will enhancing the customer value and customer
satisfaction. by mapping the customer journey, the hotel can figure out on what the most
essential touch points between them and their customers, and they could be improve for
enhancing their guests experience with solution for detect current issue or problem. For
increasing their customer experience, there is higher chance that they will become loyal to their
hotel services and products. This is recommended that it is mainly sound more time at the hotel
through upgrading and update room facilities for their guest who are belong to other country.
Along with this, there are various touch points which are used when customers are
directly interacting with the business. This includes mobile, people, websites, print media,
products, marketing and other services (Kandampully, Zhang and Bilgihan, 2015). These are
helpful in making relationship with their customers to hotel in easy manner. Such touch points
assist in promoting hotel services and room facilities among other people.
These are all the required ways of mapping consumer experience and insisting travellers
to book the hotel and take the beneficial advantages (Laudon and Laudon, 2015). Through all
these methods it help in engaging the consumer towards its products and maintains long term
relationship with them.
P4 Customer touch points throughout the customer experience create business opportunities for
services sector organization.
There are various stages where hotel crown plaza finds its touch points through customer
experiences and enhance business opportunities.
At satisfactory level:
In that touch point organisation provide them services that enhance their brand image and
value that makes them loyal consumers(Stark, 2015). To properly communicate with consumers

effectively that help to understand the needs of consumers that help in satisfaction level of
consumers. Satisfactory level includes that services and goods that give moderate experience to
their customer and enhance their morale that are very important for business expansion and
growth. There are various touch points which are useful for hotel such as websites, product,
people, marketing, etc.
At a good level:
In this level of services there is required level of satisfaction in which consumer delight
with goods and services in consumer base. In the good level respective hotel have to restore all
data and information to the potential consumer and give them reply of all queries that satisfy
them. Here the services of room and every requirement of consumers are satisfied by Crown
plaza that helps it to become brand image in market (McColl-Kennedy and et. al., 2015). In this
scenario Crown plaza build a trained staff along with the use of websites that observe every need
of consumers so that enhance motivation level increase prospective customers at crown plaza.
The touch points are arte gifts and offering discounts to regular customers.
At advance level:
In that level organisation have to analyse the past experience of consumer with the future
needs of consumers that help to delight consumer. In which new technologies adopted by the
respective organisations that enhance consumer expectations that improves motivation and
advancement level of consumers that gives them best memories and advancements that delighted
the consumers. In advance level Crown plaza observe the activities of clients and grab them at
appropriate time with help of websites, reviews etc (Peppers, Rogers, 2016). The touch points
would be in regular contact with them by sending mails and phones on their anniversary and
birthdays to make them feel valuable.
P5 Impact of Digital technology on CRM
Customer relationship management is an approach by which business entities comes in
touch with customers and communicate values and beliefs and focus on retention of customers.
Digital technology aids an enterprise in building effective relationship with customer to analyse
their needs and requirements Furthermore, some questions have been discussed with the
customers, given below:-
 What was the name of the company making the presentation?
Black and White

 What was the name of the person who made the presentation?
Julian Hook
 What is the name of the software programme that they demonstrated?
OPERA
 What are the key elements of their programme?
This programme mainly consist of table booking, reservation systems, EPOS system,
housekeeping, open table etc.
 Name some of their current customers.
Some of the current customers for Black and White are Travelodge, Marco Pierre White
Restaurant, Hilton International and more such hospitality organisations.
 How long have they been in business?
Black and White was incorporated in 2014 and the software which has been discussed in
the workshop is in action since 1970s.
 How does the Company see these programmes developing in the future?
In future prospect, Black and White is emphasizing upon increasing communication with
its guests. Besides this, company can also determine the latest trends and techniques being used by
completive business organisations in hospitality industry (chmit, 2016). With these programmes,
they focus upon ta,king regular feedbacks from customers so as to serve them in an effective and
efficient manner in future and sustain in market for long run.
P6 Customer service strategies adopted by hotel crown plaza
Customer service strategy can be referred as the strategies adopted by the company yto
meet the needs of consumer. There are many customer strategies that help to marketers to
achieve objectives and goals in services industry. For that reason there is many ways to compete
in target market and these are as follows:
Measure customer satisfaction and engagement:
In service industry to fully satisfied their customer it is very essential to observe the
satisfaction level of their customer in different ways. It is very dynamic industry that face
changes rapidly so retain consumers for long time is difficult task for them. So there is proper
way to calculate satisfaction level of consumers (hin, 2015). By taking feedback and observe
their past experiences and then moderately change in services according to consumer needs and
demands in Crown Plaza.

Knowledge about consumer base
In service industry to retain the present consumer base and grab consumers new
customers requires huge efforts in which lot of promotions and services. To know about
consumers help them to their future tastes and expectations from the industry so that they work
to mould their business in proper manner.
P7 How customer service strategies create and develop the customer experience in a way that
meets the needs of the customer and required business standards
Customer Audit Trail, Critical Observations:
Name of hospitality business visited: Crown Plaza
Date and time of visit: 15th December, 2018
Ambience and First Impressions:
Things that I observed that
were positive, or good?
Things that I observed that
were negative, or bad?
What would I change if this
was my business?
The interior, theme and
decoration of Crown Plaza
hotel is attractive and pleasant
to eyes.
At there there are less number
of waiters and customers have
to more to get their order.
Increase the numbers of
waiters and Chiefs, so that
customers has to wait less for
their food.
Signage, Tariff Boards, Labelling, etc.:
Things that I observed that
were positive, or good?
Things that I observed that
were negative, or bad?
What would I change if this
was my business?
The interior and outside
decoration and design of
building attract customers and
logo of Crown Plaza is also
attractive.
Customers were facing
problems related to tariff board
because at some place old
price is mentioned and when
they visit to counter they face
problem.
There will be proper
maintenance and update the
price at tariff boards so no
customer face problem related
to it.

Prices:
Things that I observed that
were positive, or good?
Things that I observed that
were negative, or bad?
What would I change if this
was my business?
The pricing fix by Crown
Plaza are valuable for
customers and easily
affordable.
Price of some food item are
quite too expensive at Crown
Plaza.
I would that price of products
and services seem to be
valuable for the customers.
Range of Products:
Things that I observed that
were positive, or good?
Things that I observed that
were negative, or bad?
What would I change if this
was my business?
At respective hotel there are
comfortable beds, clean rooms,
effective room service, neat
and clean public area and so
on .
The cleaning of swimming
pool is not regular at Crown
Plaza.
I will ensure the hygiene of
public area and food preparing
area.
Staff:
Things that I observed that
were positive, or good?
Things that I observed that
were negative, or bad?
What would I change if this
was my business?
The employees was jovial and
interact in formal manner.
In this case, guest are faced
various query and employees
are react in impatient way.
Conduct training and
development sessions for their
employees so they can easily
manage and deal with major
query of customers and
grievances in better manner.
Time:
Things that I observed that Things that I observed that What would I change if this

were positive, or good? were negative, or bad? was my business?
The meals and food items are
offered to customers in
accurate manner and does not
make delay in delivery food
items which feel customers
happy.
Self services at Crown Plaza
develop it complex for
customers in order to give
orders.
I will develop waiters and
staffs members who are
delivery orders to customers
directly to table.
Supplementary Items:
Things that I observed that
were positive, or good?
Things that I observed that
were negative, or bad?
What would I change if this
was my business?
The employees of Crown
Plaza min aim towards gaining
effectiveness and efficient in
their goods and services.
Crown Plaza does not provide
any additional advantages and
benefits to their desired guests
who stay in the hotel.
I would like to welcome my
guest with some special
treatment.
Payment:
Things that I observed that
were positive, or good?
Things that I observed that
were negative, or bad?
What would I change if this
was my business?
Crown Plaza payment mode is
very feasible so any guest can
easily paid amount.
The hotel is not provide cash
on delivery option for making
online orders in Crown Plaza.
I use Cash on delivery option
because this will gain attention
of large number of guests
towards hotel.
CONCLUSION
As per the above report it has been concluded that customers experiences play a key role
in ascertaining the performance of respective organisation. It is obligatory for hotel crown plaza
to do market segmentation and analyse the need of customer accordingly. In this, business
representatives focus on demographic profiles for evaluating what kinds of good and services are

required for potential customer. Customer engagement also increases brand awareness in
organisation. It analyses customer service strategies adopted by hotel crown plaza and
evaluating its effectiveness.

REFERENCES
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